Product Review

Mistakes happen on every homestead, and today we are sharing some of our biggest ones from the past year so you can learn right alongside us. Whether it is garden chaos, livestock mishaps, or ignoring that little voice of intuition, these lessons are part of growing wiser and more resilient on the homestead.

We are also chatting about winter prep, homeschool rhythms, fruit flies in the pantry, and a few behind–the–scenes stories from life here at Riverbend. Grab a warm drink and join us for some real talk about what went wrong and how we are moving forward.

Time Stamps
0:00 - Introduction
1:20 - Chit Chat
3:00 - Cabin Build (Card)
10:41 - ForJars
12:19 - Main Topic

Join the FREE Crash Course:
Get registered for our free, live How to Homestead Anywhere crash course. This week-long training will help you build resilience and peaceful rhythms no matter where you live: https://classes.homesteadingfamily.com/crash-course

Learn Seed Saving:
Start saving your own garden seeds with this simple beginner's guide:
https://homesteadingfamily.com/seed-saving-for-beginners/

Thank You to ForJars:
We appreciate ForJars for sponsoring this episode. Check out their line of durable, homestead-friendly canning and preserving tools. Use coupon code HOMESTEADINGFAMILY10 to save 10 percent on your order: https://homesteadingfamily.com/forjars

As always, we love hearing from you. Share your biggest homesteading mistakes in the comments below so we can learn from each other.

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MORE ABOUT US!

WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo

Grow, Preserve & Thrive with us!
Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamily
Instagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamily
Rumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamily

A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!

Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHyt

Your Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshop

Meals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: https://homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-free-workshop

FREE PDF DOWNLOADS:
- Homesteading Family's Favorite Holiday Recipes - Grab all of our family’s favorite holiday recipes. https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-holiday-recipes
- 5 Steps to a More Self-Sufficient Life - Simple steps anyone can take wherever they are to start a more self-sufficient lifestyle. https://homesteadingfamily.com/5StepsYT
- Thrive Wellness Checklist - A simple guide for healthy living: https://homesteadingfamily.com/TWC_YT
- Permaculture for Your Homestead- An introduction to permaculture with some strategies for applying it to one’s homestead and garden.
https://homesteadingfamily.com/PFYH_YT
- Carolyn’s Cottage Garden herb list - Carolyn’s favorite herbs for growing at home.
https://homesteadingfamily.com/CGHL_YT
- Carolyn’s Make-Ahead Breakfast Casseroles - These easy casseroles are a life-saver for busy weeks! https://homesteadingfamily.com/MABC_YT
- Your FREE Guide to Preserving Eggs - Grab your guide to preserving eggs with multiple methods. https://homesteadingfamily.com/Eggs_YT
- 5 Steps to a Healthy Garden - Get an explanation of what makes healthy soil and 5 steps you can take to improve your garden. https://homesteadingfamily.com/5StepsGardenYT
- Save the Crumbs- Several Recipes for using bread leftovers, a less committal entry to bread than the workshop. https://homesteadingfamily.com/STC_YT
- Fearless Fermenting- A simple guide on basic lacto-ferments. https://homesteadingfamily.com/FF_YT
- Fermenting Tomatoes - Easiest and fastest tomato preservation: https://homesteadingfamily.com/FT_YT
- Preserving Culinary Herbs - Downloadable, step-by-step directions to drying, freezing, and salting culinary herbs. https://homesteadingfamily.com/PCH_YT
- Render Your Own Lard - Grab these easy instructions on how to render your own lard. https://homesteadingfamily.com/RYL_YT
- Grandma Lynn's Blueberry Buckle - A delicious dessert anytime of year: https://homesteadingfamily.com/BB_YT

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If you’ve been wanting to add more fermented foods to your homestead kitchen, this is such a fun place to start. Today I’m sharing four different ways we make sauerkraut here on our homestead, each one simple, delicious, and full of those good probiotics our families need.

We’ll walk through:

🥬 Traditional Fermented Sauerkraut - Just cabbage and salt done the old-fashioned way. It’s reliable, hands-off, and a wonderful skill to have in your toolkit.
🧄 Garlic Dill Sauerkraut - A savory, farmhouse-style kraut that pairs beautifully with roasted meats, soups, and sandwiches. It’s one of our favorites in the winter months.
🍎🌶️ Sweet & Spicy Apple–Jalapeño–Ginger Sauerkraut - Crunchy, bright, and full of flavor. The apples add a gentle sweetness that balances the heat from the jalapeño and the warmth from the ginger.
🥕🧅🪴 Curtido - A Latin-style kraut with oregano, carrots, and onions. This is wonderful on tacos, eggs, beans, or anything that needs a little pop of tang.

Fermenting doesn’t have to be complicated. With a few simple tips, you’ll have jars bubbling away on your countertop in no time. Join me in the kitchen as we make these together.

🌿 Helpful Links
• Traditional Sauerkraut Recipe: https://homesteadingfamily.com/lacto-fermented-sauerkraut-recipe/
• Garlic Dill Sauerkraut: https://homesteadingfamily.com/garlic-dill-sauerkraut
• Curtido Recipe: https://homesteadingfamily.com/curtido-recipe/
• Sweet and Spicy Apple Sauerkraut Recipe: https://homesteadingfamily.com/apple-jalapeno-sauerkraut-recipe/

If you enjoy videos on traditional skills, gardening, preserving, and building a wholesome home, be sure to like this video and subscribe.

#fermentation #homesteadingfamily #sauerkraut #traditionalfoods #gutmicrobiome #fromscratchkitchen
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MORE ABOUT US!

WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo

Grow, Preserve & Thrive with us!
Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamily
Instagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamily
Rumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamily

A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!

Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHyt

Your Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshop

Meals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: https://homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-free-workshop

FREE PDF DOWNLOADS:
- Homesteading Family's Favorite Holiday Recipes - Grab all of our family’s favorite holiday recipes. https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-holiday-recipes
- 5 Steps to a More Self-Sufficient Life - Simple steps anyone can take wherever they are to start a more self-sufficient lifestyle. https://homesteadingfamily.com/5StepsYT
- Thrive Wellness Checklist - A simple guide for healthy living: https://homesteadingfamily.com/TWC_YT
- Permaculture for Your Homestead- An introduction to permaculture with some strategies for applying it to one’s homestead and garden.
https://homesteadingfamily.com/PFYH_YT
- Carolyn’s Cottage Garden herb list - Carolyn’s favorite herbs for growing at home.
https://homesteadingfamily.com/CGHL_YT
- Carolyn’s Make-Ahead Breakfast Casseroles - These easy casseroles are a life-saver for busy weeks! https://homesteadingfamily.com/MABC_YT
- Your FREE Guide to Preserving Eggs - Grab your guide to preserving eggs with multiple methods. https://homesteadingfamily.com/Eggs_YT
- 5 Steps to a Healthy Garden - Get an explanation of what makes healthy soil and 5 steps you can take to improve your garden. https://homesteadingfamily.com/5StepsGardenYT
- Save the Crumbs- Several Recipes for using bread leftovers, a less committal entry to bread than the workshop. https://homesteadingfamily.com/STC_YT
- Fearless Fermenting- A simple guide on basic lacto-ferments. https://homesteadingfamily.com/FF_YT
- Fermenting Tomatoes - Easiest and fastest tomato preservation: https://homesteadingfamily.com/FT_YT
- Preserving Culinary Herbs - Downloadable, step-by-step directions to drying, freezing, and salting culinary herbs. https://homesteadingfamily.com/PCH_YT
- Render Your Own Lard - Grab these easy instructions on how to render your own lard. https://homesteadingfamily.com/RYL_YT
- Grandma Lynn's Blueberry Buckle - A delicious dessert anytime of year: https://homesteadingfamily.com/BB_YT

Learn how to make cheese the traditional way using natural raw milk cultures like clabber, kefir, and backsplash whey.

In this conversation with Robyn Jackson from @cheesefromscratch3823, we dig into how to create and maintain your own starter cultures, how to troubleshoot clabber that smells a little funky, and how to use these cultures to make everything from cream cheese to aged wheels.

This episode covers:

• What clabber is and why it was used for generations
• How to build and maintain a healthy clabber culture
• How kefir can work as a starter culture
• When backsplash whey is useful and when it is not
• How to know if your culture has gone bad
• How to make a simple clabber cream cheese at home
• Why natural cultures can make your cheeses taste better than commercial starters

✅ If you want to learn how to work with raw milk in a way that is simple, safe, and incredibly rewarding, this episode will give you the confidence to begin. Learn more here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/natural-cheesemaking/
✅ Grab a copy of Robyn's book, Cheese From Scratch here: https://homesteadliving.com/product/cheese-from-scratch/
✅ Check out my Practical Homemade Dairy Masterclass here: https://homesteadliving.com/product/cheese-from-scratch/

Time Stamps:
0:00 - Introduction
2:54 - American Blossom Linens
4:48 - Main Topic

- Thanks to American Blossom Linens for sponsoring today's podcast. Be sure to grab yourself 20% off your purchase with coupon code "HOMESTEADINGFAMILY". Check out all their amazing products here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/s-american-blossom-linens

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MORE ABOUT US!

WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo

Grow, Preserve & Thrive with us!
Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamily
Instagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamily
Rumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamily

A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!

Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHyt

Your Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshop

Meals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: https://homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-free-workshop

FREE PDF DOWNLOADS:
- Homesteading Family's Favorite Holiday Recipes - Grab all of our family’s favorite holiday recipes. https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-holiday-recipes
- 5 Steps to a More Self-Sufficient Life - Simple steps anyone can take wherever they are to start a more self-sufficient lifestyle. https://homesteadingfamily.com/5StepsYT
- Thrive Wellness Checklist - A simple guide for healthy living: https://homesteadingfamily.com/TWC_YT
- Permaculture for Your Homestead- An introduction to permaculture with some strategies for applying it to one’s homestead and garden.
https://homesteadingfamily.com/PFYH_YT
- Carolyn’s Cottage Garden herb list - Carolyn’s favorite herbs for growing at home.
https://homesteadingfamily.com/CGHL_YT
- Carolyn’s Make-Ahead Breakfast Casseroles - These easy casseroles are a life-saver for busy weeks! https://homesteadingfamily.com/MABC_YT
- Your FREE Guide to Preserving Eggs - Grab your guide to preserving eggs with multiple methods. https://homesteadingfamily.com/Eggs_YT
- 5 Steps to a Healthy Garden - Get an explanation of what makes healthy soil and 5 steps you can take to improve your garden. https://homesteadingfamily.com/5StepsGardenYT
- Save the Crumbs- Several Recipes for using bread leftovers, a less committal entry to bread than the workshop. https://homesteadingfamily.com/STC_YT
- Fearless Fermenting- A simple guide on basic lacto-ferments. https://homesteadingfamily.com/FF_YT
- Fermenting Tomatoes - Easiest and fastest tomato preservation: https://homesteadingfamily.com/FT_YT
- Preserving Culinary Herbs - Downloadable, step-by-step directions to drying, freezing, and salting culinary herbs. https://homesteadingfamily.com/PCH_YT
- Render Your Own Lard - Grab these easy instructions on how to render your own lard. https://homesteadingfamily.com/RYL_YT
- Grandma Lynn's Blueberry Buckle - A delicious dessert anytime of year: https://homesteadingfamily.com/BB_YT

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Learn how to make a truly from-scratch, traditional apple pie in this cozy, fall-inspired tutorial with Abigail! 🍎🥧

In this video, Abigail walks you step-by-step through prepping your apples, mixing the filling, rolling out pie dough, and assembling the perfect classic apple pie, all while baking outside on a beautiful autumn day.

Whether you're preparing for Thanksgiving, filling your home with warm seasonal flavors, or just craving an old-fashioned homemade dessert, this recipe is simple, delicious, and time-tested.

In this video you’ll learn:
✨ The best apple-to-spice ratio
✨ How to mix the filling for the perfect texture
✨ Why cold pie dough is key
✨ Rolling and fitting your top and bottom crusts
✨ Crimping, venting, and baking
✨ What to do with leftover pie dough scraps
✨ How to bake your pie for a perfectly golden, bubbly finish

✅ For the full tutorial and step-by-step printable recipe, visit the blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/traditional-apple-pie-recipe/
✅ Watch our tutorial for homemade all-butter pie crust here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/homemade-pie-crust-recipe/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MORE ABOUT US!

WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo

Grow, Preserve & Thrive with us!
Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamily
Instagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamily
Rumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamily

A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!

Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHyt

Your Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshop

Meals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: https://homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-free-workshop

FREE PDF DOWNLOADS:
- Homesteading Family's Favorite Holiday Recipes - Grab all of our family’s favorite holiday recipes. https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-holiday-recipes
- 5 Steps to a More Self-Sufficient Life - Simple steps anyone can take wherever they are to start a more self-sufficient lifestyle. https://homesteadingfamily.com/5StepsYT
- Thrive Wellness Checklist - A simple guide for healthy living: https://homesteadingfamily.com/TWC_YT
- Permaculture for Your Homestead- An introduction to permaculture with some strategies for applying it to one’s homestead and garden.
https://homesteadingfamily.com/PFYH_YT
- Carolyn’s Cottage Garden herb list - Carolyn’s favorite herbs for growing at home.
https://homesteadingfamily.com/CGHL_YT
- Carolyn’s Make-Ahead Breakfast Casseroles - These easy casseroles are a life-saver for busy weeks! https://homesteadingfamily.com/MABC_YT
- Your FREE Guide to Preserving Eggs - Grab your guide to preserving eggs with multiple methods. https://homesteadingfamily.com/Eggs_YT
- 5 Steps to a Healthy Garden - Get an explanation of what makes healthy soil and 5 steps you can take to improve your garden. https://homesteadingfamily.com/5StepsGardenYT
- Save the Crumbs- Several Recipes for using bread leftovers, a less committal entry to bread than the workshop. https://homesteadingfamily.com/STC_YT
- Fearless Fermenting- A simple guide on basic lacto-ferments. https://homesteadingfamily.com/FF_YT
- Fermenting Tomatoes - Easiest and fastest tomato preservation: https://homesteadingfamily.com/FT_YT
- Preserving Culinary Herbs - Downloadable, step-by-step directions to drying, freezing, and salting culinary herbs. https://homesteadingfamily.com/PCH_YT
- Render Your Own Lard - Grab these easy instructions on how to render your own lard. https://homesteadingfamily.com/RYL_YT
- Grandma Lynn's Blueberry Buckle - A delicious dessert anytime of year: https://homesteadingfamily.com/BB_YT

In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, we open up about cultivating contentment in every season of our homestead life. It's easy to feel grateful when everything is going smoothly, but true contentment is often built in the hard moments.

Today we talk about choosing gratitude, navigating overwhelm, balancing the desire to grow with the ability to rest, and finding joy in whatever season you are in.

✅ For more information, visit the blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/cultivating-contentment-on-the-homestead/
✅ Get all our favorite sausage recipes here: https://classes.homesteadingfamily.com/pl/2148622418
✅ Learn how to render lard here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/rendering-lard-or-tallow/
✅ Thank you to ForJars for sponsoring today's podcast. Check out their full line of tools at their website and use coupon code "HOMESTEADINGFAMILY10" for ten percent off your purchase: https://homesteadingfamily.com/forjars

TIME STAMPS:
0:00 - Introduction
2:55 - Chit Chat
11:11 - ForJars
12:35 - Main Topic

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MORE ABOUT US!

WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo

Grow, Preserve & Thrive with us!
Visit us on our blog: https://www.homesteadingfamily.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamily
Instagram: https://instagram.com/homesteadingfamily
Rumble: https://rumble.com/HomesteadingFamily

A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!

Healthy Healing at Home – Learn how to confidently use herbal medicine in your home with this FREE 4 video workshop: https://homesteadingfamily.com/HHHyt

Your Best Loaf – A Free 4 video workshop teaching you how to make great bread at home, every time, regardless of the recipe you are using: https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-bread-workshop

Meals on Your Shelf – Can along with me! Learn to can and put jars of a delicious meal on your pantry shelf with this FREE video series: https://homesteadingfamily.com/MOYS-free-workshop

FREE PDF DOWNLOADS:
- Homesteading Family's Favorite Holiday Recipes - Grab all of our family’s favorite holiday recipes. https://homesteadingfamily.com/free-holiday-recipes
- 5 Steps to a More Self-Sufficient Life - Simple steps anyone can take wherever they are to start a more self-sufficient lifestyle. https://homesteadingfamily.com/5StepsYT
- Thrive Wellness Checklist - A simple guide for healthy living: https://homesteadingfamily.com/TWC_YT
- Permaculture for Your Homestead- An introduction to permaculture with some strategies for applying it to one’s homestead and garden.
https://homesteadingfamily.com/PFYH_YT
- Carolyn’s Cottage Garden herb list - Carolyn’s favorite herbs for growing at home.
https://homesteadingfamily.com/CGHL_YT
- Carolyn’s Make-Ahead Breakfast Casseroles - These easy casseroles are a life-saver for busy weeks! https://homesteadingfamily.com/MABC_YT
- Your FREE Guide to Preserving Eggs - Grab your guide to preserving eggs with multiple methods. https://homesteadingfamily.com/Eggs_YT
- 5 Steps to a Healthy Garden - Get an explanation of what makes healthy soil and 5 steps you can take to improve your garden. https://homesteadingfamily.com/5StepsGardenYT
- Save the Crumbs- Several Recipes for using bread leftovers, a less committal entry to bread than the workshop. https://homesteadingfamily.com/STC_YT
- Fearless Fermenting- A simple guide on basic lacto-ferments. https://homesteadingfamily.com/FF_YT
- Fermenting Tomatoes - Easiest and fastest tomato preservation: https://homesteadingfamily.com/FT_YT
- Preserving Culinary Herbs - Downloadable, step-by-step directions to drying, freezing, and salting culinary herbs. https://homesteadingfamily.com/PCH_YT
- Render Your Own Lard - Grab these easy instructions on how to render your own lard. https://homesteadingfamily.com/RYL_YT
- Grandma Lynn's Blueberry Buckle - A delicious dessert anytime of year: https://homesteadingfamily.com/BB_YT

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Watch the full Everyday Homesteading podcast interview here: https://youtu.be/MG2hUMTWeeI

Or check out the blog post here: https://homesteadingfamily.com/how-to-rehydrate-dehydrated-food/

#dehydrating #homesteadingfamily #foodpreservation #rehydration #purposefulpantry #pantrystorage #homesteading

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